Whydopeoplebecomeinvolvedinhealthandmedicalresearchorhealthservices?

Are you an experienced consumer or community member currently involved in a decision making capacity on a research reference group or health services advisory committee? The Consumer and Community Health Research Network are looking for two people to join a reference group to provide advice on this project.

Applications closed

About the project

Do health consumers work with researchers and health service providers to improve care for others? Is it because they want to make sure other people don’t have to endure similar situations to what they have encountered? Do they just want to have their say? Very little research has investigated these questions and as yet there is little or no research to prove health consumers actually make a difference.

The proposed research will explore:

How consumers and community members view research and how they feel they can contribute

Why consumers and community members become involved

Consumers and community members level of involvement/commitment

The difference consumers and community members feel they make during their involvement

What drives/ supports consumers and community members continued involvement?

What makes consumers and community members continued involvement difficult?

About the Position

The Consumer and Community Health Research Network are looking for two consumer/community members to join a reference group.

What am I expected to do?

The reference group members will provide advice on research activities throughout the project. Members will:

Provide a “lived-experience” perspective on decision making and involvement on research committees and advisory groups

Provide advice on strategies for recruiting participants to the study and the suitability of research questions

Help to develop ways to inform the wider community about the research findings

Provide feedback on priorities for future research

What skills or experience do I need?

You need to be an experienced consumer and/or community member who has been involved in a decision-making capacity in health and medical research and/or health service delivery. You will have knowledge of the various roles and tasks of committees, advisory or reference groups, and the impact these have on research processes and health service policy and delivery.

What is the time commitment?

The members will attend three meetings over a 6-month period. The first meeting will be held in March 2018. Each meeting will be no longer than two hours.

Some time may also be required outside of meetings to review project documents. These will be provided via email. On average, this activity would involve two hours of your time per request.

Where will meetings be held?

School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia (UWA), Hampton Road, Nedlands, WA.

What support is offered?

$30 honorarium per hour for meetings attended and time spent reviewing documents. Free training and mentoring is offered by the Consumer and Community Health Research Network.